1. The European Case of Urban Statistics - Progress in Comparability -
Dr. Berthold Feldmann
Eurostat
Luxembourg
November 2000

2. Structure of this presentation
The need for comparable urban statistics
The role of Eurostat
Achievements so far
The Urban Audit
History and content
some results
future plans
Urban Statistics in the EU

3. Objectives of this presentation
URBAN STATISTICS: Present the achievements reached so far in the European Union
Give some ideas about the future development

4. The growing need for information
CHAPTER 1
The growing need for information
November 2000

5. Need for information
Rational and efficient political actions need as a base the quantification of social and economic phenomena
More and more people live in cities
Hence: The development in cities should be monitored and analysed more rigorously
Urban Statistics in the EU

6. Need for information
Detect negative trends in the cities in order to counteract
Compare problems and chances internationally in order to learn from each other
Harmonised urban statistics are the base for well-founded urban policy at all levels:
The European Commission
The national government
The cities themselves
Urban Statistics in the EU

7. At EU level: two policy papers of the European Commission
“Towards an urban agenda in the European Union”, Com(97)197,
“Sustainable urban development in the European Union: a framework for action”, Com(98)605,
Urban Statistics in the EU

8. The challenge for Eurostat
CHAPTER 2
The challenge for Eurostat
November 2000

9. Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union
is part of the “Commission”
is placed in Luxembourg
employs around 600 people
nearly all data collection in National Statistical Offices
Urban Statistics in the EU

10. Eurostat Two major tasks Statistics based on
collect European statistics and disseminate it
harmonise concepts
Statistics based on
Regulations (= legal base)
gentlemen’s agreements (voluntary)
Urban Statistics in the EU

11. Our mission
to produce reliable, comparable and relevant statistics (quality charta)
to provide European institutions and the public at large with data for Community policies
to support the development of statistical systems in Member States and other countries
to harmonise methodology
Urban Statistics in the EU

12. CHAPTER 3 Achievements so far November 2000

13. (a) Analysis of Requirements
1997: a thorough study by an external expert
“There is a growing demand”
Availability of data
NUTS level 5 data (database SIRE)
Labour Force Survey (NUTS level 2)
Importance of Comparability
Urban Statistics in the EU

14. (b) The definition of variables
Call for tender 1998, accomplished in spring 2000
183 variables were identified
many variables are not available at the necessary level of geographical break down
the report is available in web format
Urban Statistics in the EU

15. (c) The database SIRE
Demography data at NUTS level 5, i.e local units
around 30 variables
only every ten years new census data
can be linked to LFS data
Urban Statistics in the EU

16. (d) Urban Statistics Database (USD)
Contract in 1998 (1 year project)
Combines available data from
SIRE (NUTS level 5)
LFS (NUTS level 5)
household budget survey
Could be enlarged to environmental data
Limitations of this approach
Urban Statistics in the EU

17. (e) Remote Sensing
Several projects via satellite proved operational (primarily for agriculture statistics)
Directed by Eurostat and NSOs on the basis of common tender specifications
Helps to define Urban Agglomerations
High costs, hence cost-benefit analysis essential
Urban Statistics in the EU

18. (f) a new survey ? High costs
in money terms
burden on surveyed institutions
no specific legal base exists at Community level
currently no friendly climate for new legislation
Urban Statistics in the EU

19. SUMMARY The demand exists Existing approaches have clear limitations
A new survey is quite impossible
Hence: the Urban Audit ?
Use existing data sets
only for a selection of cities
Urban Statistics in the EU

20. The Urban Audit (a) history
CHAPTER 4
The Urban Audit
(a) history
November 2000

21. The Urban Audit Call for tender of the Commission (DG REGIO) in 1997
Selection of contractor in May 1998
limited project for 1 year
designed as a “pilot study” (feasibility study)
Target: to collect data on the quality of life for 58 European cities
Urban Statistics in the EU

22. The cities 58 cities were selected About 15% of national population
London and Paris were excluded (too difficult for a pilot study)
Urban Statistics in the EU

23. The cities Spain Madrid Belgium Antwerp Barcelona Brussels Valencia
Seville
Saragossa
Malaga
France Marseilles
Lyon
Toulouse
Nice
Strasburg
Bordeaux
Nantes
Lille
Ireland Dublin
Cork
Belgium Antwerp
Brussels
Denmark Copenhagen
Germany Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Cologne
Frankfurt
Essen
Stuttgart
Leipzig
Dresden
Greece Athens
Thessaloniki
Patras
Urban Statistics in the EU

24. The cities Portugal Lisbon Italy Rome Oporto Milan Braga Naples
Finland Helsinki
Sweden Stockholm
Gothenburg
United Kingdom Birmingham
Leeds
Glasgow
Bradford
Liverpool
Edinburgh
Manchester
Cardiff
Italy Rome
Milan
Naples
Turin
Palermo
Genoa
Florence
Bari
Luxembourg Luxembourg
Netherlands Amsterdam
Rotterdam
Austria Graz
Vienna
Urban Statistics in the EU

25. The Urban Audit (b) concept
CHAPTER 4 ..
The Urban Audit
(b) concept
November 2000

26. Geographical Area 3 Levels : the administrative city
the “Wider Territorial Unit”
the sub-city level
Urban Statistics in the EU

27. WIDER TERRITORIAL UNITS
criteria
building blocks = “administrative areas”
population density
extent of built up area
Some weaknesses in concept when:
large sub-urban administrative area includes only small part of built up area
definition is similar to an administrative area which includes relatively low density unit
Urban Statistics in the EU

28. DISPARITIES WITHIN CITIES
Approach: Define sub city areas (ideally 10,000 population)
Generate selected (common) indicators
Select two contrasting areas
Generate selected (common) indicators for the two areas
Issues: “Standard” definitions of sub-city areas vary
Results depend on how boundaries are drawn
Urban Statistics in the EU

29. Covered domains Population and nationality Household structure
Labour market (incl. unemployment)
Income and poverty
Housing
Health
Crime
Civic involvement
Education and training
Air and water quality
Waste management
Travel patterns
Energy Use
Recreation and culture
Urban Statistics in the EU

30. Time series Whenever possible data for 1981, 1991 and 1996
Problem: boundary changes over time affect validity
Problem: definition of surveyed variables may change over time
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31. The results An overview in printed format (comparative analysis)
an individual exhaustive City Audit per city
a web site:
The “Urban Audit Day” near Paris 21 September 2000
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32. The Urban Audit (b) some results
CHAPTER
The Urban Audit
(b) some results
November 2000

33. Some results …..
The proportion of elderly people increases more in the cities than at national level
The proportion of young people has decreased
Poverty: 23% of the inhabitants of cities dispose of less than half of the national average income
Urban Statistics in the EU

34. Population
Urban Statistics in the EU

35. Population density
Urban Statistics in the EU

36. Proportion of non-nationals
Urban Statistics in the EU

37. Households
Urban Statistics in the EU

38. One-person households
Urban Statistics in the EU

39. Lone parents
Urban Statistics in the EU

40. More results … crime
Urban crime rates are considerably higher than national averages
crime against people is slightly declining, while crime against property is rising
people perceive crime as a more severe problem than it really is
Urban Statistics in the EU

41. Unemployment
Urban Statistics in the EU

42. Unemployment: disparities at sub-city level
Urban Statistics in the EU

43. Urban Environment Traffic related pollution increases
Pollution caused by industry is declining
Winter smog is down
Summer smog increases
water consumption is declining
improvements in waste processing
Urban Statistics in the EU

44. Registered cars
Urban Statistics in the EU

45. CHAPTER 5
Future plans
November 2000

46. Some ideas about the follow up
Evaluation of results
as fast as possible
Include Paris and London
Include cities of applicant countries
Include more EU cities (on a voluntary base)
Regular data collection
Urban Statistics in the EU

47. Clear organisational setup
DG REGIO give general (political) guidelines
Eurostat is responsible for the database (quality) and for dissemination
National co-ordinators keep contact between the cities and Eurostat
The cities supply the statistics, in reward they obtain a comparable set of urban data as a base for sound politics
Urban Statistics in the EU

48. National Co-ordinators
Direct contact between Eurostat and more than 60 cities is not possible
First choice as national co-ordinator: National Statistical Offices
If they can’t: Networks of urban affairs or other specialists are also welcome
Urban Statistics in the EU

49. Tentative timetable Evaluation until March 2001
Working Party with Member States around April 2001
May / June: decision on
the core set of variables
the frequency of data collection
the cities to cover
the national co-ordinators
October 2001: Start of Urban Audit II
Urban Statistics in the EU

50. Thanks
for
your
attention
Any questions ??